Language That Lends Itself To Describing Music

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Does anybody know any good foreign-language words or phrases that describe things about music better than English can? Like forgein equivalents of old standbys--driving, angular, incandescent, etc.--that go deeper?

Inspired by then thread about languages that lend themselves to singing, and the very real hunch that German is stocked with what I'm looking for.

Andy, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have no good examples, which is why I ask.

Andy, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, and I'm thinking of more emotionally invested notions than the lame English equivalents in the initial question, not necessarily literal descriptions.

OK, I'll stop now.

Andy, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why would German be stocked with what you're looking for? The crazy word concatenation thing?

Josh, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not sure exactly, but the other inspiration for the question was a friend talking about waking up in the middle of the night from a dream, wanting to return to it to see how it ends, and instead tossing about in a sleepless fit. Then he said, "There's probably a German word for that." You know, angst-y, mildly torturous states of mind...

Andy, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

duende

Edna Welthorpe, Mrs, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why would German be stocked with what you're looking for? The crazy word concatenation thing?

Its hard to discribe Industrial without using the words 'Angst' or 'Motorik'; it just as hard to explain metal without giving into the urge to use words like 'blitzkreig', 'sturm und drang' or 'Wagnerian'; nobody gets superfamous without a muso crit saying something about 'Zeitgeist.'; and you can't talk about the fall of a dispised, washed-up media scamster (Such as Milli Vanilli or Vanilla Ice) without giving into the temptation of mentioning 'schadenfreude'

Ist gud, Ja?

Lord Custos, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"There's probably a German word for that."

If it hurts theres probably a word in German for it.

"Leave it to our Teutonic friends, the Germans to invent an elaborate lexicon of pain terminology" - Dennis Miller

Lord Custos, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...inspiration for the question was a friend talking about waking up in the middle of the night from a dream, wanting to return to it to see how it ends, and instead tossing about in a sleepless fit. Then he said, "There's probably a German word for that."

Yes, but that word is probably something like, "Nacttraumweiderschlaflosen" - which is only intriguing because it's nonsense.

Dave225, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There are some cool japanese word that are used just for music. I mean they only have one meaning, to descibe music. Sorry i cant think of any off the top of my head, but i know they exist.

lochrian x, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)


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